Performance and Driving Impressions Rating:

A pair of gutsy engines—one a V-6, the other a V-8—and either rear- or all-wheel drive lends the Durango a muscle-car feel out on the road. Handling is athletic for a heavy crossover SUV, yet its ride isn’t compromised in the name of performance.

What’s New for 2018?

The performance headline for 2018 is the all-new Durango SRT, which borrows a powertrain and adaptive suspension from its corporate cousin the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. We review SRT models separately because of their focus on high performance, and Dodge saw fit to make no changes to the standard Durango’s powertrain, suspension, or brakes for 2018.

2017 Dodge Durango

Test Results: Acceleration, Dodge Durango 3.6L V-6

Where the Durango with the V-8 pulls ahead of its competition—literally and figuratively—is in the 50-to-70-mph highway merging test, where it managed 4.1 seconds. That puts it well beyond the GMC Acadia and Honda Pilot.

Although it’s not overtly sporty, the Durango’s rear-wheel-drive platform lends an athletic feel to the Durango, and its muscle-car persona shines through in everyday use. It still manages to deliver a comfortable ride, making it a family-friendly SUV that’s both fun to drive and easy to live with. The Mazda CX-9 and GMC Acadia managed to out-corner both the V-6 (0.76 g) and the V-8 (0.78 g) Durangos around a skidpad, but the CX-9 and the Acadia benefit from lower curb weights and shorter wheelbases.

Test Results: Maximum Cornering Capability

Ride, Handling, and Steering

Although there is some body roll in corners thanks to its high center of gravity, the Durango handles well for its size. The Durango’s suspension never lets it float or wallow over large pavement heaves. It feels solid on the road and channels some of the athleticism of its Charger and Challenger stablemates while offering a quiet interior when cruising. The trade-off is that the suspension doesn’t soak up larger bumps as well as its more softly sprung rivals.

The steering is weighty, but it lacks that magic ability to communicate to the driver the way a sports sedan does. Behind the wheel, the Durango is a surprisingly willing companion for attacking corners; this makes it a reasonable compromise for drivers who’d prefer a muscle car but who can’t make a two-door coupe work with their lifestyle. Its size and weight gave it a disadvantage in our cornering tests, though. Lighter and more modern rivals such as the GMC Acadia managed measurably better results around our skidpad; save for the excellent and dexterous Mazda CX-9, however, none of them felt as enthusiastic as the Durango.

Braking

Unfortunately, braking performance doesn’t live up to the rest of the Durango’s sporty demeanor. Applying the brake pedal yields a firm feel, but with the extra weight of the optional V-8 engine in its nose, our R/T test vehicle needed 193 feet to stop from 70 mph. By comparison, the V-6 model we tested was able to stop in 182 feet, while the GMC Acadia managed a 172-foot stop. That extra 20 feet of stopping distance for the V-8 Durango relative to the GMC Acadia is significant; it could make the difference in avoiding a fender bender.

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